Pusher plate means for boring type mining machine



PUSHER PLATE MEANS FOR BORING TYPE-MINING MACHINE Fiied June 24, 1957 Jan. 13,A 1959 R. c. LUNDQUlsT 2 Sheets--Shee'I l INVENToR. BB'rchard C. Lundquisc A7" ORA/EV Jal1- 13 1959 R. c. LUNDQUIST PUSHER PLATE MEANS FOR BORING TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 'llfchard C. Lundquisf 47W? Q mw AT ORNEY `IUsrnm PLATE MEANS Fon BORING TYPE H MIwING MACHINE Richard C. Luntlquist, Chicago, jlll., assigner to Goodman ManufacturingiCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application .lune `24, 1957, Serial No. 667,436

` 4 ciaims. (ci. 262-7) This invention relates generally to boring type mining machines, and more particularly to improved pusher plate means for deflecting the cuttings into the conveyor of such machines.

In boring type mining machines it is customary to pro* vide a number of `boring heads which project forwardly from an auxiliary frame composed principally of a gear housing containing drive and reduction gearing for driving the heads. This auxiliary frame is usually adjustable withvrespect to the main frame so`that the boring heads can be raised or lowered or tilted to follow' the seam.

It is also customary to provide an adjustable barrier, called a pusher plate, just behind the boring heads to cause the broken and dislodged material to travel laterally toward a conveyor opening beneath the gear housmg. i

`In relatively high machines it is ordinarily possible to provide pusher plates which are high enough to control the dislodged material and yet are low enough to allow the auxiliary frame andthe pusher plate to be` moved vertically `relative to each other without interference. But in relatively low height boring machines, it is necessary to provide` slots in the pusher plates in order to allow the necessary vertical vadjustment of the pusher plates relative to `the auxiliary frame. These slots, located below the hubs of the boring heads, permit spillage through the ,pusher plate unless some means is provided for closing them when the auxiliary frame is withdrawn vertically above its minimum height position relative to the pusher plates.

A principal` object of the present invention is to ime prove upon continuous mining machines of the vertically adjustabletype having pusher plates cooperating with the boring heads to progress the mined material to the central conveyor of the machine, by increasing the range of movement ofthe lower trimmer bar by providing slots in the pusher plates registering with the supports for the boring heads, as the lower trimmer bar approaches the supports, and by` sealing the slots in the pusher plates throughout the range of vertical adjustment of the lower trimmer bar with respect to the boring head supports.

Other objects and advantages will appear from time to time as the following description proceeds.'

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front view of a boring miner made in t accordance with the present invention, but with two of the boring heads omitted in order to more clearly illus- I trate the present invention; t,

F'gure 2 is a fragmentary plan view drawn to an enlarged scale and taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view, drawn to an enlarged scale, at one side of the machine, but showing the auxiliary frame adjusted to a position removed vertically from the adjacent pusher plate; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the auxiliary frame adjusted into its Closest relation to the pusher plate,

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the `numeral 10 generally designates an auxiliary frame of a boring type mining machine, including, as usual, a gear box 11. `Cutter bars 12 and ,13 are supported on the gear box 11 by jacks 16, 17, 18 and a similar fourth jack, not shown, toprovide vertical adjustment to define the roof and Hoor levels respectively, as is usual in machines of this `character. A chain 14` is guided for orbital movement in the cutter bars 12 and 13. j

The illustrative form of machine shown has four similar boring heads which are rotatably mounted in advance of the gear case 11. Two of these boring heads are shown in full at 22 and 23, and the other two heads are broken away to show their drive shafts 24 and 25.

Hubs 19 and 21 project forwardlyfrom `the front of the gear case 11 through which the shafts 22 and 23 extend. The four boring hea-ds have radial arms equipped with forwardly projecting cutter supports27, 28 and 292, as usual. When the material is broken, it may come to rest` momentarily against ypusher plates 31 and 32 from which position sweeps 33 on the ends of each arm move the material laterally i toward a conveyor throat 34.

The two pusher plates 31 and 32 and their associated parts are similar, but reversely arranged with respect to each other, so that the description will be limited to pusher plate 32 and its associated parts, inasmuch as the descriptive matter will apply to either.

The pusher plate 32 is mounted on and travels with the lower cutter `bar 13 at one side of the conveyor throat 34. Thus, when the lower cutter bar 14 is raised relative to the gear box 11, the hubs 19 and 21 move into major verticallydisposed slots 36 and 37 in the top of the lpusher plate 32, as seen by comparison of Figures 3 and 4. When the gear box 11 is raised relative to the pusher plate, the hubs 19 and 21 move up out of the major slots 36 and 37.

The present invention relates especially to the means for closing either, or both of these major slots 3 6 and 37.

A fan-shaped flipper plate 38 has two straight edges at an abtuse angle to its apex 38 and an arcuate edge centered about said apex and with said straight edges forming the sector of a circle. Said plate has a bearing 41 nearone side thereof and eccentric of the center about which the arcuate edge is struck and journaled on one of the hubs 19. This allows flipper plate 3% to rotate aboutl said hub,jinjclosely lapped relation to the rear of pusher plate 32 and to depend from said hub as the lower trimmer bar 13 is moved away from said hub. A pin 43 extends from adjacent the apex of the iiipper plate 38 on which is rotatably mounted a block 46. The block 46 slides in a minor horizontally disposed slot 48 formed adjacent the upper edge of the pusher plate 32 to pivot the flipper plate 38 about the axis of the bearing 41 upon relative movement between the pusher plate 32 and the hub 19.

lt may be seen with reference to Figures 3 and 4 that the ilipper plate 3S pivots about an axis eccentric of the center about which the arcuate edge of the flipper plate is struck and that the pin 43 is positioned substantially concentric with the axis about which the arcuate edge of the flipper plate is struck. Thus, as the lower trimmer bar i3 is vertically adjusted toward the support 19 from the position shown in Figure 3 to that shown in Figure 4, the,` pin 43jmoves from a position belowr the support 19 to a position above said support and effects sweeping movement of the pusher plate across the slot 36 and the longer side of the pusher plate continually moves upwardly out of the way of the lower trimmer bar and thus enables the lower trimmer bar to be moved into close proximity to the hubs 19 and 21. This increases the range of adjustment of the lower trimmer bar over Patented Jan. 13, 1959 lassediata former adjustable boring machines having telescopic pusher plates, and assures that the slots in the pusher plates are always covered over the entire range of adjustment of the lower trimmer bar with respect to the supports for the boring heads.

Where the machine? has two boring heads adjacet the pusher plate 32, as shown, a second iiipper plate 39 has a bearing 42 journaled on the hub 21. Flipperplate 39 has a stud 44, slide 47, and minor horizontal slot 49 mounted in a manner similar to the iiipper plate 38, excepting that the second flipper plate is disposed in front of the pusher plate. Slide blocks 46 and 47 are retained on studs 43 and 44 by locking rings 51 and 52.

Figures l, 3 and 4 show one intermediate and two extreme positions respectively, of vertical adjustment of the gear box 11 relative to pusher plate 32.

In operation, when the pusher plate and gear box 11 are moved to their extreme limit toward each other, as in Figure 4, the hubs, together with the iiipper plates, seal the major slots 36 and 37. The slide blocks 46 and 47 are then in the extreme outward position of minor slots 48 or 49. As the pusher plate moves away from the gear box the slide blocks begin to slide along the minor slots 48, 49 to rotate the flipper plates 38 and- 39 about the hubs 19 and 21, as seen in`Figure l, wherein it will be seen that the major slots 36 and 37 remain sealed. As the gear box continues to move upwardly away from the pusher plate, the center of the hub passes a horizontal line through the center of the studs 43 and 44, so that the slide blocks 46 and 47 reverse their motion within minor slots 48 and 49, but the direction of rotation of iiipper plates 38 and 39 continues unchanged to keep the major slots 36 and 37 always sealed.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a boring machine having two boring heads over each pusher plate, it will be understood that the same form of ipper plates can be employed in machines having only one boring head over each pusher plate.

Although l have shown and -described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that there may be other variations and modifications which fall within the scope and purview of the claims here appended.

I claim:

l. A Continous mining machine of the boring type comprising a frame extending across the front of the machine and having a'material receiving throat opening toward the ground, an inclined elevating conveyor extending within said throat and having a receiving end adjacent the ground, boring head supports projecting forwardly of said frame on each side of said throat, boring heads rotatably mounted on said supports for cutting contiguous bores in advance of the machine and progressing the cuttings toward said throat and conveyor, a lower trimmer bar mounted on said frame for vertical adjustment relative thereto, upight pusher plates mounted on said lower trimmer bar on each side of said throat and extending upwardly along said throat andcooperating with said boring heads to guide the mined material to said throat, each pusher plate having an upwardly opening slot therein for receiving said forwardly projecting supports and accommodating adjustment of said lower trimmer bar into Vclose proximity to said supports, and means pivotally mounted` on said frame and operated by relative movement between said pusher plate and said frame for maintaining said slots closed in all relative positions of adjustment of said trimmer bar with respect to said frame.

2. The structure of claim l wherein the closure means for each slot comprisesa flipper plate pivotally mounted on said frame eccentric of the center of said flipper plate and having slidable engagement with said pusherl plate, to eifect sweeping movement of said ilipper plate across said slot and to withdraw said flipper plate from said trimmer bar as said trimmer bar approaches the supports for said boring heads.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the flipper plates are mounted for rotation about the projecting supports for the boring heads and depend from said suppforts when the trimmer bar is in a lowermost position of adjustment, and wherein slidable interengaging connections are provided between said pusher plates and sai-d tiipper plates for moving said flipper plates across said slots and withdrawing said flipper plates from said lower trimmer bar as saidv lower trimmer `bar is adjusted toward said projecting supports.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the'iiipper plate is generally in theform of the sector of a circle and is pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof for rotation about the axis of a projecting support, and wherein a pin and slot connection is provided between said pusher plate and said flipper plate adjacent the apex of the sector, for effecting sweeping movement of said pusher plate across the slot and withdrawing said pusher plate from said trimmer bar as said trimmer bar approaches the projecting supports for the boring heads.

Robbins Apr. 5, 1955.y 

